Vivo (technology company)
Vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd. is a Chinese multinational technology company headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong that designs and develops smartphones, smartphone accessories, software and online services. The company develops software for its phones, distributed through its V-Appstore, with iManager included in their proprietary, Android-based operating system, Origin OS in Mainland China, and Funtouch OS elsewhere. It has 10,000 employees, with 10 R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi’an, Taipei, Tokyo, and San Diego. [3][4]
Not to be confused with Vivo (telecommunications company), Asus Vivo, VIVO (software), or Vevo.
Native name
维沃移动通信有限公司
2009
- Shen Wei
- Duan Yongping
Worldwide[a]
- Shen Wei (Founder & CEO)
- Baishan Hu (Executive Vice President & COO)
- Spark Ni (Senior Vice President & CMO)
- Yujian Shi (Senior Vice President & CTO)
40,000[2] (2022)
维沃移动通信有限公司
維沃移動通信有限公司
Vivo Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.
Wéiwò Yídòng Tōngxìn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī
Wéiwò Yídòng Tōngxìn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī
Controversy[edit]
IMEI and build number controversy in India[edit]
In June 2020, the cybercrime unit of Meerut Police revealed that more than 13,500 Vivo smartphones used in India were running on the same IMEI number. The IMEI number is a 15-digit code meant to be unique to every mobile device communication administration, that may be used for tracking criminals or stolen mobile phones. By using the same IMEI number for multiple devices, Vivo could have hampered police tracking of criminals or stolen devices. In 2017, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued a statement that all mobile devices would be required to have a unique IMEI number. Failure to do so would be seen as tampering and could result in a fine or up to three years of imprisonment.
The events led to the police filing a case against Vivo and its service centre. The lapse reportedly came to light when a police officer gave his mobile phone to the staff at the cybercrime unit for examination, as the phone was not working properly despite being repaired at a Vivo service center in Meerut. The cybercrime unit found that the IMEI number of the device was different from the one printed on the box, and then forwarded the IMEI number to an unidentified Telephone Company providing telecommunications services for the handset and asked for the relevant data. The company informed that as of 24 September 2019, the same IMEI number had been running on 13,557 mobile phones in different states of the country. The Meerut police reportedly handed a notice to Vivo India's nodal officer Harmanjit Singh under Section 91 of the CrPC, and also registered a case under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.[27][28][29][30]
Tax evasion allegation in India[edit]
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence of India (DRI) raided the offices of Vivo in July 2022 and accused the company of tax evasion. The company allegedly remitted almost half of its turnover out of India.[31] The Enforcement Directorate also blocked the bank accounts of the company to prevent further money laundering.[32] The agency also found that some top executives of Vivo who are Chinese had incorporated 23 shell companies in India, with the help of a Chartered Accountant, Nitin Grg. "These (23) companies are found to have transferred huge amounts of funds to Vivo India. Further, out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crore, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crore or almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China", the ED said in a statement.[33][34] In October 2023, the Enforcement Directorate arrested the head of administration of Vivo India on money laundering charges.[35]